Viva Italia and Viva Israel! On Thursday evening, the Italian Embassy opened its National Day festivities with a gala reception at the home of Ambassador of Italy H.E. Mr. Francesco Maria Talo and his wife. Distinguished guests from Israel’s diplomatic community, business and cultural leaders, and Italian expatriates, enjoyed Italian cuisine, and live music, and got to hear from the President of Israel, Mr. Reuven Rivlin.

Sweden’s Ambassador to Israel, H.E. Carl Magnus Nesser, together with his colleague, the ambassador from El Salvador, H. E. Werner Matias Romero hosted a reception on Wednesday at the Swedish ambassadorial residence in Herzlia Pituach, to recognize IDAHOT – the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia; a worldwide celebration of sexual and gender diversities.

President Reuven Rivlin this morning met with at his residence with senior members of Christian communities around the world who support Israel. The delegation arranged by the Knesset Christian Caucus and the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast movement, included representatives of around 200 communities in more than 50 countries, and included around 30 members of parliaments. The group was visiting Israel to mark 50 years since the reunification of Jerusalem. The meeting was also addressed by Chairman of the Knesset Christian Caucus, Robert Ilatov MK, and Lars Adaktusson, MEP for Sweden.

President Rivlin this morning (Thursday), addressed a visiting delegation to Jerusalem, of more than 200 representatives of the Jewish Federation of New York marking 100 years since its founding. The President was greeted by Eric Goldstein, CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York.

President Rivlin welcomed all the delegates to Jerusalem, and congratulated them on marking the organization’s centenary, and spoke of the important bond between the Jewish communities around the world. He said, “We are all one family. And being part of a family, means we all have the duty, and the obligation, to look after each other. We have the shared responsibility, to fight anti-Semitism. We have the shared responsibility, to educate our children about their Jewish identity. And we have the shared responsibility, to the State of Israel, our national home.”